Most sin can be traced to one of these seven sins. So, know them. Fight them in your home. Fight them in your heart. Be the example that maybe you didn’t have growing up. You can learn to overcome the sin that’s holding you back.
Manhood Journey
Day 1
Scriptures: Proverbs 13:10, Proverbs 16:18-19, Luke 14:11, James 4:6
Pride
Who hasn’t spent at least a little time drinking deep from this fatal fountain?
Think you don’t have a problem with pride? How hard is it for you to admit you can’t do something? Ask for help? Stop and ask for directions? Tell the truth about the size of fish you caught?
Pride has been deadly since before the beginning. Lucifer wasn’t satisfied with circling the throne of God. He wanted to sit in the seat. And, ultimately, this is the root of pride—us trying to sit in God’s seat. It’s a problem of worship. We want our good works, reputations, job, possessions, even wife and children to point others toward “worshiping” us instead of God (Matthew 5:16).
So what is the battle plan to fight off pride? Humility. Sometimes we confuse humility with self-deprecation. We get this wrong notion that in order to be humble we have to think lowly of ourselves.
Humility does not mean making less of ourselves but rather making more of others. Thinking more of others leaves little room for thinking of self. Paul instructed the church at Philippi, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others,” (Philippians 2:3-4). Could Paul have given better advice than this for the Christian dad!
To put off pride, we must learn to put on humility. Being humble shouldn’t be something we do but something we are. Peter tells us to “clothe” ourselves in humility (1 Peter 5:5-7). I love this imagery. It’s possible that you’ve wondered about what clothes to wear before you leave the house but you’ve probably never wondered about ifyou’d wear clothes. Getting dressed before going out is something you do without thinking. When it comes to being humble, doing it without thinking is the goal.
This is a lofty goal and one we can’t accomplish on our own (to think so would be prideful). By passing our cares and the responsibility of owning the spotlight over to our Heavenly Father, we will discover a freedom and joy that can be found in nothing else.
Prayer
God, give me grace to be humble in all things. Please, help me see when pride shows itself in my life and eliminate it. I don’t want to lead my family from an example of pride. I want my wife and kids to see a humble leader—a leader who points to you—in all things. Amen.
Reflection Question
In what specific ways can you start thinking of others as more important than yourself?
Day 2
Scriptures: Proverbs 14:30, Titus 3:3-7, James 3:14-17
Envy
Envy is a very sly sin. It starts off seemingly small, then quietly sneaks up on us before it stirs in destruction that wreaks havoc on our attitude and outlook. Just take a quick look at Cain and Abel. The first case of envy quickly became the first case of murder. It ruins everything!
For example: You run into a coworker for coffee as he casually mentions the new promotion he just got. You smile and nod while congratulating him on a job well done. But while you are walking back to your desk, you unintentionally begin to compare yourself to you coworker. In your mind, he doesn’t measure up to you in any category. You work better, harder, faster, and smarter. That promotion should have been yours. Now, you can’t even look at him the same because every time you see him, all you can think about is how he is walking around with your promotion.
For you specifically, it might not be a promotion. Maybe it’s your friend’s new car or house or job or even…his wife. Whatever it is that he has and you want, if you are not careful, that’s where envy will begin to creep its way into your life. And once envy finds a way in, it begins to spread like a disease to all areas of your life. Before too long, you won’t be satisfied with anything because there is always something better to be had.
In order to put off envy, we need to put on gratitude and contentment. The secret to removing envy from our lives is to be grateful and content with the blessings God has given us. Paul says it this way in his letter to the Philippians, “I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:12-13 NLT).
Taking on this kind of attitude will help us not only be grateful for God’s goodness, we will also learn to rejoice in the successes of others.
Prayer
God, please forgive me of being envious. Help me turn my heart from what friends or neighbors have and be grateful for what You’ve given me.
Reflection Question
Where does envy tend to rear its ugly head in your life? How can you combat that?
Day 3
Scriptures: Proverbs 14:29, Proverbs 15:18, Proverbs 29:11
Anger
I’m going to say something you’ve probably never heard from a Christian perspective or possibly any perspective…it’s okay to be angry.
Jesus got angry (Matthew 21:11). God the Father gets angry (Numbers 11:1-2 and countless other OT references). Anger in itself is not a bad or sinful thing. But if you are like me and the rest of the human race, and I’m guessing you are, then there is a pretty significant probability your anger is not Holy anger but rather selfish anger.
Anger becomes a serious issue depending on what makes us angry and how we respond in that anger. If our anger has nothing to do with the matters that make God angry—child abuse, errant teaching, lying, gossip among believers, etc.—then there’s a problem with our anger.
While anger is a problem, it isn’t the main one. The main trouble is what we become when we grow angry. Most of us tend to Hulk-out, turn green, and lose all self-control. Well, maybe not the turning green bit, that might be limited to Avengers, but we can certainly relate to losing self-control. When we become angry we lose control of our tongue and actions leading us to say and do things we always regret when the rage fades. This, in turn, requires us to go back to those we wronged and apologize (and some of us even skip this last step). It’s a mess.
So how do we deal with this anger issue? Our first two steps should be:
Look Inward—What are the triggers that really set us off? Long lines? Traffic? College football team blowing a huge lead in the fourth quarter? (that last one might just be me) Identifying the triggers of our anger allows us to take a step back when they arise.
Look Godward—Taking a second to pray in moments of anger moves our focus off us and onto God. Because most anger is selfish, taking the spotlight off of us tends to cool down the situation. Plus, only God can change a heart. The best way to put off anger is to put on forgiveness, understanding, and self-control.
Prayer
God, will you help me see where I’m stressed out and angry so I can get ahead of it? Help me see and love what you want. Teach me to die to myself daily so that I only care about what You care about. Amen.
Reflection Question
What triggers your anger? What are you going to do next time you sense your anger bubbling to the surface?
Day 4
Scriptures: Proverbs 6:6-11, Proverbs 10:4-5, Proverbs 13:4
Sloth
Sloth feels like a biblical word for lazy. There’s probably a better explanation for it than that simple one but I’m too lazy to research it.
Slothfulness is a deeper issue than simply being lazy. It’s a desperate attempt to stay comfortable. If anything requires effort and work, slothfulness will search out excuses and loopholes to avoid it.
You may be thinking I can skip this day. I have a job and work hard at it. Congratulations. That’s a responsibility you should own (1 Timothy 5:8). The real question is, do you work hard at all the other responsibilities you have?
Laziness can deceptively present itself in many forms. The lazy dad sees his only role as that of provider, then outsources all his other responsibilities to everyone else in his kids’ lives. He relies on others to carry his weight. Teachers will educate, coaches will discipline, pastors will disciple, and mom will take care of everything that happens in the home.
Instead of being the leader in his home, the lazy dad says, “Go ask your mother,” and presses the eject button from all uncomfortable situations and conversations with his kids. By default, the mom is forced to take on the role of mother and father and begins carrying the weight and responsibility of two. The lazy dad weighs down his own wife so that he can be free.
It’s absolutely shameful!
The remedy to slothfulness is an easy one. The first thing we need to do is…anything. Do something. Take action. Engage. Be a man of action not potential. Start setting goals and forming plans of attack to become someone who works hard in all areas of his life.
As we put off the sin of laziness and sloth, let’s put on work and diligence.
Prayer
God, You never stop loving me! Thank You for never sleeping and never slumbering on my behalf. Please help me be intentional in You. Help me love You and serve others as You would direct me. Amen.
Reflection Question
What areas of your life do you avoid working in to remain comfortable? What would it look like if you weren’t lazy in that area?
Day 5
Scriptures: Luke 12:15-21, 1 Timothy 6:6-10, Matthew 6:33
Greed
Boys and their toys. There’s just something about shiny new stuff that really appeals to the brain of a man. And having a nice toy usually isn’t good enough. We need to have the latest and greatest version of that toy. More, more, more. If a little is good then more is better, right?
Greed is such an easy sin to slip into, even in the hearts of Christ followers. And this makes no sense to me. I mean, greed is at such odds and great contrast to Jesus. After all, let’s not forget he was a homeless man (Luke 9:58). And this speaks nothing to the fact that he chose to step out of all heaven had to offer to become nothing on earth.
Whether it makes sense or not, greed has wrapped its strong stingy fingers around the hearts of the best of us. Greed is the inordinate or insatiable longing for unneeded excess. Not need. Excess. It is the want for more than we need. Like most sin, greed is a want gone wrong.
And if we think about greed in those terms—a want for excess, not need—then I think our eyes are opened more widely to how far reaching greed is. For example, how many shirts do you need? Think about that question as truly need based. Now, how many shirts do you own? If I wore every shirt in my closet before washing them, I could probably go two months or more before doing laundry. Isn’t that excess? Doesn’t that make it greed?
Another issue with greed is that it is not merely limited to material possessions. We dads can be pretty stingy with our time, our words of encouragement, and our approval. Our greed affects more than just us.
As forceful as greed can be, it does have a weakness. Giving. Try it. Give something away. Money. Time. Personal possessions. It doesn’t really matter what it is, giving it away will change you.
As we try to put off the sin of greed, let’s put on contentment and the delight that comes from giving.
Prayer
God, would you please help me resist the pull of this world and its want for more? Please help me see greed for what it is—sin. Help me find contentment, be grateful and live to worship You. Amen.
Reflection Question
What is the area or “thing” that really brings out the greed in you? How could giving help lessen that desire for excess?
Day 6
Scriptures: Proverbs 23:1-3, Luke 12:22-23, 1 Corinthians 10:13
Gluttony
To think that there is not a problem with food in our society is foolishness. Whether it’s eating too much or how often to eat or when is the best time of day to eat, we—as a nation—struggle with food. But food is a necessity. It reveals that we need something outside of ourselves to sustain us. It is not a problem we can simply ignore.
Gluttony is often defined as the over-indulgence and over-consumption of food and drink. There is a deeper issue going on here than simply overeating at meal time. It is an unquenchable appetite towards food. There is always a desire for more.
Gluttony, in some ways, is a mix of greed, lust, and anger. With this sin, more is always better and there is a massive lack of self-control. Problems with food often have emotional issues tied into it as well.
Gluttony and obesity certainly pose health and physical dangers but there is also a spiritual issue at play too. When we tend to think about what’s for lunch or what’s for dinner over and over throughout the day, we are not too far away from calling food our god. There is certainly an element of worship to this kind of relationship with food.
In order to break an unhealthy relationship with food, it might help to reflect on our relationship with the LORD. Understanding how we view and treat food is part of our relationship to God. It’s not just about our will power.
To put off gluttony, we need to put on self-control because this is what we are teaching our children. When we are extremely overweight, our actions around the table make it very difficult for us to ever talk to our kids about the discipline of self-control. Let’s be mindful that we are setting an example to our kids at all times, including meal time.
Prayer
God, please help me see where my appetite needs to be put in check. Help me rely on you and give me self-control based on my love for You over food and any other worldly thing. Amen.
Reflection Question
If you are an overeater, why? Don’t rush through this question. Really think why you eat as much as you do. Is it as simple as you like the taste or is there more to it than that?
Day 7
Scriptures: Psalms 101:3-4, Matthew 5:27-28, 1 John 2:15-16
Lust
God created sex because only God could create something as good as sex. He did a great job! But we messed it up. Much like greed and gluttony, lust is an appetite for the forbidden. It hurts our relationships with our wife, our family, and our God. It reduces people to mere objects for the sole purpose of gratifying our pleasures.
In our sex-saturated society, lust can seem almost unavoidable. It’s everywhere. Television shows, commercials, magazines, billboards, twitter, instagram. Even if we don’t go looking for it, the temptation of lust is constantly in front of us.
But marriage is the proper place for sex. That’s it. Scripturally, you’ll have a tough time getting past that. Sex beyond the bounds of marriage is dishonoring the other person and disobeying God.
Our marriages are pictures of God’s relationship to people. Jesus and the church are the bridegroom and the bride. When we love our wives as Christ loved the church, we’re not just “setting a good example for our kids”. We’re showing God’s love to everyone around us. Our marriages are a living, breathing embodiment of the gospel. When we stain that relationship, we’re robbing others of a chance to see God.
With that said and lust lurking around every corner, what’s the game plan to fight it?
Run away. Sometimes we foolishly try to tempt temptation. Creeping as close to the line of sin without actually crossing over. This is a deadly game. The best thing we can do is follow the example of Joseph. When the temptation of lust tries cornering us, run. Don’t think, just run.
Run to God. Running away from lust is a good start but what we run toward is equally important. The more you know God, the less you will desire sin. The less you know God, the more you will desire sin. Running to God will ultimately mean worship.
Let’s be honest, the sin of lust doesn’t really sneak up on us. We must be on guard. Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it (Proverbs 4:23). As we put off the sin of lust, let’s learn to guard our hearts.
Prayer
Dear God, would you please free me for the chains of lust? Teach me to guard my heart. Guide me in the way everlasting. Amen.
Reflection Question
Which of these statements best describe your approach towards lust: I’m good enough to get close without getting burned or I run from it? How’s that working out for you?